A Courier's Journey
by PhantomBlade116
Summary: Michael Strife was a man accustomed to the wastes. He was content on being a simple package courier. That sadly changed when he was shot in the head and left for dead. Now on a mission for revenge, Michael finds himself getting dragged into something far greater than he imagined, with the whole Mojave at risk. Rated M for the usual shit that happens in Fallout.
1. Ain't That A Kick in the Head

Chapter One: Ain't That a Kick in the Head

 _AN: So... sup. The names Phantom, and I wouldn't say this is my first story, more like my first shot at a game novelization with my own twist. And yes I know you guys have seen this done a million times, but dammit I'm doing this my way! Hope you guys enjoy!_

 _War. War never changes._

 _Humanity doomed itself in the late 21st century, bombing themselves to oblivion. Hell, for a while the Earth was just a dead wasteland. Then the vaults opened._

 _Ha,vaults. They were just supposed to be your average anti-apocalypse home, but more often than not they were showed the worst of humanity. However, one vault stood out among the rest, mainly due to the person the came from it. What followed really changed the wastes._

 _Vault 13. Located near Shady Sands if I remember correctly. Hell of a place to start. The Vault Dweller, Alexander Dawson, came from that place. He left in 2161, for… something. Either way, that lucky bastard was a newbie to the wastes, but managed to stop one of the wastelands greatest threats: The Master. Long story short, he was obsessed with 'unifying the wastes.' Thankfully Dawson stopped him. After that, he helped build the foundations for the NCR, before disappearing._

 _After the Dweller, his grandson came into to play. A tribal known as 'The Chosen One', Alex Dawson Jr. Hell, considering what this guy went through, he might as well have been chosen. I mean, stopping a monster like Frank Horrigan and taking out most of the Enclave? You gotta have someone watching out for you._

 _Finally there was the Lone Wanderer from DC. Good old 101. They fled from their Vault into the wastes. Not much is known about them, but what is known is that they were responsible for taking down the Enclave once and for all, and uniting most of DC under the Brotherhood of Steel._

 _All these people were heroes. Someone to inspire to be, or to look up to. Sadly we didn't have that kind of stuff here in the Mojave. We had a corrupt NCR and the hellish Legion. Caught between a rock and a hard place. That's where I came in. Me? I never considered myself a hero. I was just a simple courier. Always had been. Of course that all changed when I got a certain package._

* * *

Oh shit, what vertibird hit me? I was really groggy. That's when I heard someone, could have been one of the Khans that attacked me, speak.

"You got what you were after, so pay up." One guy spat. Then another voice, definitely from that asshole in the suit spoke up.

"You're crying in the rain pally." Suit said. Oh I was really going to hate this guy, I just knew it. I looked up to see that checker suited asshole looking down at me, the two Great Khans standing on either side of him. One of them smirked.

"Guess who's waking up over here." The asshole just stood there smoking a cigarette, before taking it out of his mouth and stomping down on it. He looked at me and said "Time to cash out." He said. Oh shit.

The other Khan looked at suit "Would you get it over with?" He snarled.

Suit held up a finger, not the one I would have used, but a finger nonetheless.

"Maybe Khans kill people without looking them in the face, but I ain't a fink, dig?" He said. He reached into his pocket, and I was waiting for the gun, but instead he pulled out…. Oh that son of a bitch! My package! I struggled a bit to move, but my hands were tied down.

"You made your last delivery kid. Sorry you got twisted up in this scene." He sighed. Yeah well fuck you too asshole.

Suit put the chip into his coat and, oh shit there's the gun. This is going to end well. Well, figured this job was going to kill me sooner or later. Glad I don't have any regrets. That's when the asshole started to speak again.

"From where you're kneeling it must seem like an 18-carat run of bad luck. Truth is, the game was rigged from the start." Then he aimed. Well… no point in trying to avoid this. I closed my eyes, and heard the shot.

* * *

 _Huh, it actually didn't feel that bad. Oh course I was fading in and out of consciousness, but I could faintly see…. A light? I think... could have been something else. Then something weird….. well weirder happened. Humming. Not the usual humming you would hear in the wastes, this was far more…. Different. It was beautiful. I heard a voice say something._

 _"Not yet Michael. Not yet."_

 _Not yet? What the hell do they mean by not yet?_

* * *

I woke up, a bang echoing in the back of my mind. I was in a really comfortable bed, and I did not want to get back up. What the… where the hell am I? What happened?

"You're awake. How about that." I heard a voice next to me say. I turned, trying to get a good look at the guy, but my vision decided to screw me over. Was the room supposed to be spinning like that? I put a hand to my sore head, trying to dull the pain.

"Whoa easy there. Easy." The man said, putting a hand on my chest to stop me from moving. I started to cough, and man did it hurt. My throat was burning from disuse. How long was I out? Finally my vision started to clear up. I could finally see who was speaking.

He was an older man, bald with a white mustache. Funny enough I didn't recognize him.

"Where...where am I?" I finally managed to ask. "Who are you?"

"I'm Doc Mitchell. Welcome to Goodsprings son." The old man said.

Goodsprings. Huh. I vaguely remember this place. I was supposed to pass through here to… oh. Oh shit. My packaged. I was supposed to deliver my packaged when I was... Fuck, I was shot in the fucking head. How in the ever loving fuck did I survive that? I shook my head. No time for that. Right now I needed to get my bearings

"Well now that we got that out of the way, can you tell me your name son?" Doc Mitchell asked.

"What?" I asked, confused at the question.

"Your name. I hope you remember it. I couldn't exactly ask you while you were unconscious. Figured now would be a good time to ask who I've been fixing up." Mitchell said, passing me a glass of water.

I grabbed it, downing it quickly. Oh sweet relief. Man I did not realize how thirsty I was. Oh, forgot about the doc. "I'm Strife. Michael Strife." I said, shaking Mitchell's hand.

"Well I can't say it's what I would've picked for you, but if that's your name, that's your name." He said, standing up and moving to a nearby desk. What the hell was that supposed to mean? He came back, giving me a mirror before speaking again. "Now, I take hope you don't mind, but I had go rooting around in your noggin to pull out all the bits of lead out, even pulled out a whole bullet. I take pride in my needlework, but you'd better tell me if I left anything out of place."

I took a long look at myself. My black hair was still short thankfully, so I wasn't out that long. Looks like I grew a small beard as well. My blue eyes widened when I saw the scars. I was shot twice in the head. Both scars sat on my forehead, leaving small but noticeable marks, both with a small amount of stitching. I traced over them, wincing at how tender they felt. Damn. I chuckled in small relief. At least neither of them left a scar near my mouth.

"You did a hell of a job Doc. Appreciate it." I said honestly. Doc Mitchell chuckled.

"I do my best son. Can you stand?" He asked. I nodded, and stood off the bed. I stumbled a bit, before catching myself. Okay... that's better. Well that's promising.

"That's good. You're doing real good for someone who was shot in the head." Mitchell said proudly. "Now if you don't mind, I have a few questions I wanted to ask you."

I shrugged when I noticed something. "No problem. Question though. Do you mind if I got dressed first? Feeling a little exposed here Doc." I said chuckling.

"Oh that's no problem. I left all your stuff in that footlocker right there. Just meet me in the other room when you're ready." Mitchell said, pointing to a locker next to me before going into the next room. Now that I looked around, I could see the place was rather cozy. I moved to the footlocker, pulling out my pants, shirt, boots and jacket. I put those on, before pulling out a bag with the rest of my stuff. The first thing I checked was Blackout. Blackout was a 9mm I had on me. It was a gift from my mother, and still worked despite being over 15 years old. It was surprisingly high tech for a simple pistol, with a mounted laser sight, a burst fire function, and suppressor that Mom had added. Good thing is it was still there.

Going through the rest of my stuff was no problem. Combat Knife? Check. 500 caps? Yep. Rounds and magazines for Blackout? Check. Cigarettes? Yep. Delivery order for the Mojave Express? Yep. Now all that's left is... wait a minute. I searched the footlocker. It's not here. The bullets were here, but the gun wasn't. Motherfucker. They took it. All the more reason to catch up with them. Damn.

I was about to make my way to the next room when I saw this little tray with... oh. Looks like I found the bullet that Mitchell was talking about. You know what? Fuck it. I grabbed the bullet, putting it in a jacket pocket. I'm keeping this as a reminder. Nobody else is going to get the drop on me again. What was I going to do again? Oh right questions with the doc. That's when my stomach grumbled. Fuck I'm hungry.

* * *

A couple minutes later I was munching on some squirrel bits and iguana. Well munching was an understatement, I was scarfing this shit down. Turns out I was out for about eight days, so right now I was fucking hungry. When I was finished, I patted my stomach in relief. "Thanks for the food Doc." I said gratefully. Mitchell shrugged.

"Don't mention it. You're still my patient after all." He said with a grin, sitting across from me. "Besides, you were pretty patient when we did the psych evaluation to make sure your dogs were still barking. Now that we have a minute, mind telling me how you ended up in that ditch? Victor wouldn't mention anything." He asked.

I shrugged. "Not sure myself. I'm just a courier. Guess I was just carrying the wrong package." I said, before realizing what else he said. "Victor? Who's Victor?" I asked. Mitchell shrugged. "He's the one who brought you in. He's an odd fella, but he's nice enough. You'll notice him right away." He said.

Mitchell stood up from the table. "Come with me. I'll see you out." He said. I followed him, where he was standing there, holding a... no way. "If you're heading back out there, you ought to have this. I grew up in one of them vaults they made before the war. We all got a Pip Boy. Ain't much use to me now, but you might want such a thing, after what you've been through." He sighed, looking down. "I know what it's like, having something taken from you." He continued.

Wonder what got him all sentimental. I took the Pip Boy from him, inspecting it. It was a bulky thing, weighing a decent amount. The screen was the main thing, taking up most of the space. Beneath it was three buttons, labeled STATS, ITEMS, and DATA. To the left of the screen was a dial, knob, and what looked like a Geiger counter. I slipped it on, feeling an odd sensation going up my arm, before it disappeared.

"Thanks for patching me up Doc." I said, shaking his hand. He waved me off.

"Don't mention it. It's what I'm here for. And remember, you ever get hurt out there, you come right back and I'll fix you up. Just try not to get yourself killed anymore alright?" he said with a smirk. I let out a small chuckle.

"I'll try. I'll see you around Doc." I responded, leaving a hundred caps with me. I turned, opening the door. Time to get back out to the wasteland.

 _AN: So that's the intro. Hope you guys liked it. I don't have much to say, so until next time, read, review and enjoy!_


	2. Back Into the Wastes

Chapter 2: Back Into the Wastes

 _AN: Welcome back folks! Hope you guys are ready, cause this stories really going to kick off from here on out. Enjoy!_

I hissed as the sun hit me. Damn that was bright. As my eyes finally adjusted, I was thinking of what to do. I saw two buildings that caught my eye, one had the sign 'General Store', the other one had 'Prospector Saloon' in bright neon lights. I walked over to the store. Inside, I saw a man standing behind the counter.

"Hey there! I'm Chet." The owner called out. I walked over to him. He took a look at me. "You must be the one Doc Mitchell was patching up. The way I heard it, I didn't think you'd be walking out of that office." He said. I just shrugged. "I've got plenty of supplies for sale. Even got some weapon mods and special ammo - well worth the caps, if you ask me." He continued.

I looked around the store. Looks pretty decently stocked. "Got any 9mm ammo?" I asked. He nodded, before reaching behind the counter. "How much do you need?" He asked.

"I'll take thirty regular rounds, and however many hollow point rounds you have." I said, dropping a bag with about a hundred caps in it. I saw his eyes light up. Good. Now that I have his attention, I might be able to get some information. "Do you know anything about the people that attacked me?" I asked.

Chet nodded. "The leader was a New Vegas-type, typical city boy. He had a bunch of Great Khans with him, probably hired guns." He told me.

Yeah I knew that. If the suit wasn't obvious, then the holier than thou attitude he had gave it away. I decided not show my annoyance. Just have to be patient with this guy. "I figured that much. Did he say where he was going? Did you hear a name?" I asked calmly.

"Sorry. I didn't hear anything. You could try the Saloon. They might have heard something." Chet told me, setting the ammo I bought on the counter. Hmm... not what I was looking for, but that's a start. I grabbed the ammo, putting it in my bag. "Thanks. Appreciate the help." I said, leaving the shop.

I sighed as I stepped out. Guess I could try the Saloon out. Besides, I could use a drink. I walked over to the saloon, and in front of the entrance I saw a old man sitting on a chair. Maybe he heard something. He saw me walking over to him. "Howdy. What can Easy Pete do for you?" He said.

I raised an eyebrow. Odd name, but not my concern. "Do you know anything about the people that attacked me?" I asked hopefully. He thought for a minute.

"The one in the fancy suit seemed to be calling the shots, that's as much as I know. Other folks in town might know more." He said. Of course. "Word of advice, though: if you ever catch up with him, watch out. The man's got cold eyes like a snake. Can't be trusted, I'd say." He continued. You don't say. Well, time for a drink.

"Appreciate it old timer." I said, walking into the bar. As soon as I walked in, I was face to face with a growling dog. Oh shit. "Cheyenne, stay. Don't worry, she won't bite unless I tell her to." The woman next to the dog said.

Well that's reassuring. "Thanks. Who are you?" I asked. Hopefully she could help me.

* * *

Well I was somewhat right. The woman's name was Sunny Smiles, and right now we were behind the saloon, shooting bottles. I wanted to see if I could still shoot straight, and Sunny offered to help. I aimed the varmint rifle she gave me, and shot three times. Three bottles fell in response, and I sighed in relief. Looks like my aim was still good.

I heard Sunny chuckle behind me. "Well, that's a start. But I don't reckon you came to me to learn to fight sarsaparilla bottles." I shook my head. "You have something in mind?" I asked.

She nodded. "I gotta go chase geckos away from our water supply anyway. Darn critters are attracted to it. Why don't you come along?" She asked. I nodded. I could use the practice. "Let's get going then." I said, and we were off.

We walked a bit, before stopping behind some rocks. I could hear the geckos already. "What's the plan?" I asked.

Sunny thought for a second. "Let's see if we can get a little closer. If we move quietly, we can get the jump on 'em. More likely to hit something vital that way." She said. I nodded. "Sounds good." I muttered. Let's get to work.

We moved up slowly, and I could see the geckos. There was three of them. They noticed us and charged. I pulled out Blackout and aimed down the sights. When I did that something... weird happened. It was like the world just slowed down. This wasn't like adrenaline... it was more... artificial if that makes sense. Each of the geckos looked like they were covered in some kind of glowing outline.

I heard a voice in my ear. It was soft and robotic. "Thank you for using V.A.T.S., also know as Vault Tech Assisted Targeting System. This function assists you in aiming and targeting, giving you greater chances of success." Huh, neat.

I aimed and fired. All three geckos dropped dead. Holy shit that was awesome. Sunny went up next to me. "Not bad. You up for clearing the other wells?" She asked. Eh why not? I could use the caps.

"Lead the way." I said. To spare the details we cleared out the first well rather quickly, and even managed to save someone in the second one. I even got some water out of that one. All in all it was pretty good. I made my way back to the Saloon about a hundred caps richer. Sunny had offered to teach me to make Healing Powder, but I was already familiar with the stuff. Right now I just wanted a drink.

* * *

As I walked through the door, I immediately regretted my decision. "I'm done being nice!" I heard a voice yell. Son of a bitch. The person yelling was a man wearing a blue cotton shirt, grey striped trousers and what looked like Kevlar body armor with the words "NCRCF" stenciled on the back. He was waving a finger at Trudy, who Sunny had told me was to bar owner. "If you don't hand over Ringo soon, I'm gonna get my friends, and we're burning this town to the ground. Got it?" He growled.

Joy. A wannabe badass. Trudy looked pissed. "We'll keep that in mind," she spat back at him, not moving an inch. "Now, if you're not going to buy something, get out." She said, pointing to the door. He didn't say anything, but stomped away, knocking into me in a weak attempt to look tough. Dumbass. I walked over to the bar, and Trudy finally noticed me. "Well, you've been causing quite a stir. Glad I finally got to meet you. Welcome to the Prospector Saloon."

I nodded. "Thank you. I was wondering, got any whiskey?" I asked. Trudy nodded, pulling out a bottle from beneath the counter. I pulled out some caps and gave them to her, swiping the bottle. The conversation I just saw was playing in the back of my mind. The saner part of my brain was telling me to ignore it. That it was just a little threat. Of course my mouth had other ideas. "So what was that all about?" I asked. Goddammit.

"Just some unpleasantness," She sighed. "Our little town has gotten itself dragged into something we don't want nothing to do with. About a week ago – a little before you showed up at Doc's place – this trader, Ringo, comes into town. Survivor of an attack, he says. There's some bad men after him, he says, and he needs a place to hide. I figured he was just in shock. So I gave him a place to lie low. Didn't think anyone would actually come after him."

"The guy who just left – he was one of the guys after Ringo?"

"Joe Cobb," Trudy scoffed. "He talks big, but he's just a spineless two bit-thug like the rest of those Powder Ganger hoodlums."

"Powder Gangers?" I'd never heard of them before. Must be a new raider group.

"Chain gangs, really," she said with a shrug. "The NCR brought them in from California to work on the rail lines. Turns out giving a bunch of convicts a whole heap of dynamite and blasting powder isn't the best idea. Was a big escape not too long ago. Some of 'em stuck together so they could make trouble. That's what we're dealing with now." Yeah, pretty fucking stupid on the NCR's part. Might as well keep this going.

"Where's Ringo now?" I asked. I honestly don't know why I was still asking, I mean I still have to chase my package down.

"He's holed up at the abandoned gas station up the hill." She said, tossing a thumb in that direction. One thing didn't make sense however. "This is a pretty small town. Why hasn't Cobb found Ringo yet?" I asked.

Trudy chuckled. "Cobb hasn't exactly been looking for Ringo too hard - I think he's afraid that Ringo will ambush him, which is probably true." She said.

"So what are you going to do?" I asked. Trudy shrugged.

"Some of the others, like Sunny, will probably stand up for Ringo if he asks for help, which he hasn't. Personally, I hope he sneaks out of town one night and takes the Powder Gangers with him." She said.

I thought about what she said, downing some of my whiskey. Even if Ringo left the town, these 'Powder Gangers' didn't seem like they were going to back down. They didn't have any intention of leaving. Besides, I knew the kind of people the NCR threw in prison. They were usually the worst of people. I had two options. I could leave all this behind me, and the town might suffer, or I could stay and help them fight.

Fuck it. I had a plan forming in my mind that would save the town, get rid of the Powder Gangers, and get me a profit. I stood up, downing the rest of my whiskey. Time to find Ringo.

* * *

I was making my way to the gas station. I opened the door and walked on. The unmistakable sound of a hammer being cocked echoed in the station. Ringo walked out from behind a pair of shelves. "That's close enough. Who are you, and what do you want with me?" He asked.

I took a look at him. He was young... couldn't be older than twenty. His gun was shaking, and by the looks in his eyes, I could tell he wasn't a killer. I put my hands up anyway, to give him some level of comfort. "Easy there kid. I'm not an enemy, if that's what you're asking." I reassured him.

Ringo didn't look convinced. "Yeah? Then why are you here?" He shot back. He had survival instincts. Good.

"I talked to Trudy. I figured I might be able to help. But I can't help if you if you keep waving that gun in my face." I told him. He finally put the gun down, giving a sigh of relief. Good, now we can talk like adults.

"Sorry about the gun, you just caught me off guard." He grinned sheepishly. "Let's start over. I'm Ringo."

I grinned. "Michael." I said, putting my hands down. "Now, let's start from the beginning: do you know why Joe Cobb is after you?" He shrugged.

"My caravan was on the return trip from California and heading back up to the company branch in New Vegas when we got jumped." He said. "Not even a 'drop your weapons and hands up' before the bullets started flying. We put up a good fight, but there was too many of them. I took a few of the bandits down before I ran, so I figure their friends are out for revenge."

"What are you planning to do?" I asked. This ought to be good.

"I'm going to lay low for as long as I can, assuming the town doesn't throw me to the wolves. I've got no chance against the gang on my own." He said.

I smirked. "You need a hired gun. Lucky for you, I'm available." I said. He looked a little nervous at the mention of money. All I've got left on me are a handful of caps..." That's when I saw a spark light up. Bingo. "But you get me out of this, and I'll make sure the Crimson Caravan pays you back. You've got my word."

I nodded. "Looks like you got yourself a deal." I said.

Ringo looked at me. "So what now?" He asked.

"Now? You're going to stay low for now. I'll go around town, see if people are willing to help." I said, walking to the door. Ringo called out to me. "You sure anyone is actually going to help?"

"Sure I do." I chuckled.

As I walked out, I spotted a robot. Huh, it was a weird one. It rolled on one wheel, and had this massive torso. He saw me and rolled over to me. "Howdy, pardner! Might I say, you're looking fit as a fiddle." Okay... "Who are you?" I asked.

The robot chuckled. "Name's Victor. Pleasure to meet you partner." He said. Oh shit this is Victor? I smirked. "Thanks for digging me out of that grave." I said.

He waved me off. "Don't mention it! I'm always ready to lend a helping hand to a stranger in need." He said. I had to know something. "How did you find me?" I asked.

"I was out for a stroll that night when I heard the commotion up at the old bone orchard. Saw what looked like a bunch of bad eggs so I laid low. Once they'd run off, I dug you up to see if you were still kicking. Turns out, you were, so I hauled you off to the Doc right quick." He said. Huh.

"Do you know anything about the guys who attacked me?" I asked. Victor shook his... body? Head? Whatever. "Can't say that I'm familiar with the rascals. Some of the fine folks in town might be able to help you out with that." Of course. I nodded my head.

"Appreciate it Victor." I said. He waved as I walked away. "Happy Trails!"

I shook my head, making my way to the saloon. I hope who I have in mind is up for a little fight.

* * *

"Say no more. I'm in." Sunny told me. I blinked.

"Really? Just like that?" I asked. I figured I'd have to try and convince her.

"Joe Cobb talks about leaving us alone if we hand over Ringo, but I know his type. He and his friends will come after Goodsprings eventually." She shot back.

She's not wrong. There was only one problem now.

"However, between you, me, and Ringo, we aren't exactly a force to be reckoned with." She said. There it is. I chuckled a bit. She's not wrong. Cobb made it sound like he had at least a decent group with him, and if my math was right, we had a guy who looked like he couldn't shoot straight, a man recovering from a gunshot to the head, and a headstrong teenage.

"Do you know anyone else who would be willing to help us drive back the Powder Gangers?" I asked. She grinned.

"Yeah, I know a few."

* * *

I spent the next hour and a half going around town, trying to rally the people. I'd convinced Trudy rather easily- gather everyone willing to fight and had a gun in front of the saloon, set up some barricades and drive the Powder Gangers into a killzone. Turns out that Easy Pete was a prospector back in the day, and had some dynamite stored nearby. He parted with it rather quickly when I convinced him that I knew what I was doing. It took a bit of bargaining, but I finally convinced Chet to part with some ammo and leather armor. Finally I was walking up to Doc Mitchell's house.

I opened the door, and I could here Mitchell speaking to someone.

"Here you go. This should help with the pain. Come back in a few weeks for another dose alright?" He said. Who was he talking to? I got my answer when I hear a hum, and a woman stepped out into the hallway.

She was shorter than me, standing at... I'd say five foot eight. She had brown hair cut short. Her eyes were a sharp green, and they looked to be scanning everything. She wore what looked like an old duster, with a black shirt and brown jeans. What caught my attention was the gun strapped to her back. It was a rifle, but not like any I had seen down here. Interesting. I saw Doc Mitchell step out as well. "Welcome back. I had hoped you wouldn't need to come see me again so soon. What can I do for you?" He asked.

I quickly explained what was happening. Mitchell sighed. "Seems like wherever I go it's always the same. Folks just never leave each other alone. I'm not much good in a fight, with my bum leg. And my supplies are scarce. But I'll give you what I can spare." He said, passing me some stimpacks.

"Thanks Doc." I said, turning to leave. I paused before I went outside. "Who was that right now?" I asked, nodding at the door. Mitchell looked past me. "That? That was Samantha. She doesn't say much. Why?" He asked me. I shrugged. "Is she good in a fight?" I asked.

Mitchell nodded. "She's a good shot. She might be able to help out. If you want, she lives in the cabin right next door. If that's all. I'll get ready in case people need treatment. Good luck out there." He said, turning back into the room.

I walked out the door, looking for Samantha. There she is! I walked up to her. "Excuse me." I called out to her. She turned and looked at me curiously,

"Hey there. Sorry to bother you, but I can use some help. Goodsprings is about to be attacked by bandits. Do you think you'd be willing to give us a hand?" I asked hopefully. She stared at me, studying me intently. She must have seen something she liked, because she nodded, giving a small hum.

Great! "Good. You think you can head up to the roof of the store? You might have a better chance up there." I told her. She nodded, making her way there. Time to get to Ringo.

* * *

"So, what's going on? Did Sunny agree to help us?" Ringo asked as soon as I entered the gas station.

I nodded. "Sunny's with us. We also got help from most of the town." I told him.

"Really?" Good, he started to sound hopeful. "We might have a chance after-"

He shut up when we heard a voice call out behind us. "Michael!" I turned around, and saw Sunny running up to us, rifle in hand. "Time to look alive, the Powder Gangers are here to play!" She warned. Ringo had a determined look on his face. I checked Blackout, making sure to load the hollow point rounds.

"How many are there?" I asked.

"At least eight, Joe Cobb included. They look pretty mean."

"Where are Trudy and the others?" I asked asked, hoping they went with my plan.

"They're getting set up in cover like you said, but it might not go well unless we get out there soon." She warned. I nodded. "Let's go." I told the two of them. Sunny turned to me. "I'll be set up near the store. Let's hope that the gang doesn't manage to make it that far." I nodded again. Time to end this.

Me and Ringo went down the hill, where we saw at least half a dozen people, all armed with shotguns, pistols and revolvers. I saw Samantha on top of the store, rifle at the ready. Ringo ducked behind a crate near Sunny, and I went behind a piece of cover in front of the saloon.

I saw Joe Cobb in the distance, waving a .357 revolver. The others were armed with an assortment of shotguns, bats and cleavers. "I warned you! Kill em!" Cobb called out.

I grabbed a stick of dynamite, lighting it and tossing it in the Powder Gangers direction. With a bang, gunfire rang out across Goodsprings. I aimed at some of them, and V.A.T.S kicked in. Goddamn I loved this thing. I unloaded Blackout into the group, and four of them dropped dead. Three headshots and one neck shot. Not bad. I heard Samantha's rifle bark, and another one dropped dead. Sunny took aim and fired, killing another.

Finally Cobb was the last one standing. Let's see if he was going to be reasonable. "Hey Cobb! You've got one chance! You can leave Goodsprings, or you can die. Your choice!" I called out.

"Fuck you man!" He shouted back. "This is our turf!" I shrugged. His choice. I had a shot and I took it. I aimed at Cobb's head and fired. He was dead before he hit the floor.

* * *

I decided to stay in Goodsprings for a bit longer. I helped clear out the bodies, taking what loot I needed. Right now I was with Sunny and Ringo, the former drinking a beer and the later having a smoke. I was drinking a flask of whiskey. I have a feeling I was going to be very accustomed to this.

"Thanks for helping me out, both of you. I owe you a huge favor for this." He said.

I waved him off. "Don't mention it. You already paid me."

"I was gonna stick around for a few days more, see if there's anything I can do to pay back all the trouble I caused. But if you ever find yourself up by New Vegas, look me up at the Crimson Caravan camp. What are you gonna do?" He asked me.

I dusted myself off and stood up, putting on a cowboy hat I looted from one of the Powder Gangers. "Me? I've got some business to take care of. Some people stole something from me and left me for dead. I'm going to repay their kindness." I said. I said my goodbyes and went off. I hope was looking at the cigarettes Suit was smoking. This might be my best lead. Time to see where I would go from here.

 _AN: So hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. I'll try and update as much as I can. Until next time, Read, Review and Enjoy!_


	3. Primm

Chapter 3: Primm

As I walked out of Goodsprings, I had the feeling that someone was watching me. I don't know why, but call it a gut instinct. Rule one of the wastes: trust your guts unless you want them on the floor.

Anyways, I was walking down the road when a guy approached me. I readied myself, just in case he tried anything. "Hello? Can you help me?" He asked in a not too concerned voice.

I waved him off. "Sorry pal, I have my own problems." I said, before walking away. Nope, not today.

"I can pay you!" He called behind me. I stopped, considering it. Ah fuck it, could always use more caps. I turned around, facing him. "What's wrong?" I asked.

"My girl is trapped by geckos on the ridge and I can't get to her. Please, she's going to die!" He said. Man the things I do for money.

"Where is she?" I asked. He pointed to the place past this busted radio tower, and I made my way over. Lo and behold, I could see about six geckos at the ridge. I walked up, taking aim. I pulled out Blackout. Two bursts later, all the geckos were dead. I walked up, looking for anyone. I could see a chair, an ammo box and a crate. Well shit, I just broke my rule. I could see the bastard running up behind me. I still had Blackout in my hand. Come on asshole, give me reason.

"Sorry I tricked you, but thanks for clearing out the Geckos. Now I can get to that stash up there... after I deal with you." He said. Before he could pull out his gun, I had already aimed Blackout. His head exploded, and the body dropped. I quickly moved over to the corpse, inspecting it. Let's see... 9 mil ammo, pistol I can sell later on, stimpacks, caps... sweet a Nuka Cola! I chugged that down, before going over to the stash he mentioned.

After taking care of the two beartraps I found, I walked over to the stash. Let's see... I cracked open the ammo box, and inside I found about forty .308 rounds. Nice. This could be promising if the rounds were anything to go by. I opened the crate next to the ammo box, and inside was a hunting rifle. Yes! I checked it, and damn was this a good rifle. It had a scope, a silencer, the action felt a whole lot smoother, it had a shoulder strap, and had and extended mag. Beside it was three more extended mags, all of which were empty. Shit, looks like my luck's getting better.

After filling up the mags, I realized that I was running out of space on my person. Shit. Okay, where can I put some of this stuff? Wait a minute... I checked my Pip-Boy, realizing something. I pressed the button labeled ITEMS. Suddenly I saw... damn this was a lot of tabs. I selected weapons, and saw all of the stuff I had on me. I selected the 9 mil, not Blackout but the one I just picked up, and it disappeared from my waist.

Holy shit! I stared at the area the pistol was, before checking the Pip Boy again. I clicked the pistol, and it appeared on my waist again. I repeated the process a few more times, before finally stopping. Damn the possibilities with this thing are endless. Awesome. Where was I again? Oh right! I shouldered the hunting rifle, putting an extra mag on the side, and set out once more.

* * *

On the way to Primm, I had another run in with some Powder Gangers. I thankfully made short work of them, before looting the makeshift camp they had set up. I walked away from the camp a few caps richer, along with some stuff I could sell later on. I was about to enter Primm when I got stopped by an NCR soldier. Oh hell here we go.

"Hey where the hell do you think you're going? Primm is off limits." He told me. Wait what? Oh hell no.

"Off limits? I thought that Primm didn't fall under NCR influence." I said. I sighed in annoyance. The NCR. They were good back in the day, but they were dying. The people in charge were at best incompetent, and at worst corrupt. Their main problem was they were expanding too far too fast. They wouldn't rest until they conquered... oh excuse me, 'annexed' every settlement they could find.

"Some convicts from the prison up the road have taken over the town. Everyone inside is either dead or in hiding. What's more, there are two tribes of raiders causing trouble in this area as well. You'd be safer heading back up to Goodsprings." The soldier told me. Ha, this guy must be blind if he can't notice how armed I am.

"I can take care of myself." I said, nodding at the guns I had on me. The soldier scoffed. "Normally I would just let you be. Unfortunately I have my orders. You aren't passing this line." He told me. Fuck. Okay, let's try and make this civil shall we?

"Look, get on the radio with your commanding officer, and yes you have a radio I can see it on your shoulder, and tell him that a courier wants to get into Primm, alright? I'll head up and speak with him." I told him, stepping past the soldier.

I grumbled all the way up to the obvious command post, drinking a bottle of whiskey. I saw two NCR troops stationed in front of one tent, so I knew where to go. I walked up to the tent, where the to troops let me in. Good.

I saw a guy in a green beret, looking down at a map. If I remember correctly, the beret means he's an officer. Good. I walked up to him, and he saw me. He moved over to me, and he held out his hand. "I'm Lieutenant Hayes of the New California Republic Army, 5th Battalion, 1st Company. What's your business?" He said.

I shook his hand. If he could be courteous then I can too. "Michael Strife. I'm a courier." I shot back. I explained my situation to the Lt, and thankfully he was listening. As I finished my little tale, he nodded.

"I might be able to help you out Mr. Strife. If you can deliver this to Major Knight in the Mojave Outpost, you can pass into Primm. Agreed?" He asked. I nodded. I am a courier after all. The Lt sighed in relief. "Thank you. Just let us disable the mines and you're home free." He said, motioning to a soldier. Thank god. Something was going right finally.

Five minutes later I was walking into Primm, hunting rifle in hand. I walked down the left of this old building, noticing an old shack in front of me. I noticed about three guys, all wearing armor and armed with shotguns. Shit. I ran into the shack, moving as silently as possible. When I got in, I saw what looked to be the scene of a slaughter. Damn, this was messy. I looked to the right, reading a badge on the desk in front of me. 'Sheriff McBain'. Well shit. Sorry sheriff, but I'm going to have to take some of this stuff if I'm going to survive.

I searched the house, finding a .357 magnum, some ammo for said magnum, and a slightly armored black leather duster. I had a .357 from Cobb, so I scrapped this one, replacing the parts that were too worn out. I grabbed the duster, tossing it on. It was light enough that I could move, but still gave me decent protection. Not bad. I put the .357 in a holster strapped to my chest, and grabbed the hunting rifle. I slowly opened the door of the shack, peeking out.

I saw that two of the guys from before had left, leaving one guy. I aimed the rifle, and fired. The guy dropped dead without a sound. I slowly moved out of the shack, looking around for the others. I saw the other two guys coming from around the building. Shit. I shouldered the rifle, pulling out Blackout. I aimed, and VATS kicked in, letting me get a good view of their heads. Awesome.

Blackout barked twice, and the two of them dropped dead. Alright. Now that that's done, I'm walking over to the Mojave Express. I saw a body leaning against the building. Wait a minute... was that? Ah shit. I dropped to one knee, inspecting the body. Despite the bullet wound where his eye was, I could still see who it was. Daniel. Fuck. I closed his eyes. "Sorry man." I said, patting his shoulder.

Alright Dan, let's see if there was anything you can tell me. I saw he was still clutching a piece of paper. I took it out of his hands, reading it.

 _ **INSTRUCTIONS**_

 _Deliver the package at the north entrance to the New Vegas Strip, by way of Freeside. An agent of the recipient will meet you at the checkpoint, take possession of the package, and pay for the delivery. Bring the payment to Johnson Nash at the Mojave Express agency in Primm._

 _Bonus on completion: 250 caps._

 _ **MANIFEST**_

 _This package contains:_

 _Two (2) Oversized Dice, composed of fuzzy material_

 _CONTRACT PENALTIES_

 _You are an authorized agent of the Mojave Express Package until the delivery is complete and payment has been processed, contractually obligated to complete this transaction and materially responsible for any malfeasance or loss. Failure to deliver to the proper recipient may result in forfeiture of your advance and bonus, criminal charges, and/or pursuit by mercenary reclamation teams. Mojave Express is not responsible for any injury or loss of life you experience as a result of said reclamation efforts._

I read it over a few more times. Man, what the fuck is going on? The exact same wording, the exact same instructions, everything was just like my delivery. It was almost the same except he was carrying dice. What the fuck is it with these packages? Thanks anyways buddy. I sadly had to leave Daniel behind, going into the Mojave Express Office.

I pulled out the .357, cocking the hammer. Time to get some answers. Inside I found no one. On the counter I saw a... weird ball thing. It looked lie a robot, but it wasn't like any I had ever seen. It had an antenna, transmitters, a reinforced speaker grill, and a... laser? Cool. I saw a license plate with worn out words, the only thing left that I could tell was "ED-E." I decided to check inside, to see what was going with this thing. Let's see here... some circuits were fried, some of this stuff could use some calibrations, but it looked fixable. I decided not to mess with it, it wasn't mine. Let's see what else I could find. Nothing much really, but I did find a note. It said something about a Vikki and Vance Casino. I checked the building across from me... yep, that was it alright. Let's see what I can find.

* * *

I knocked on the door of the Casino, looking around for more bandits. I didn't get an answer, but I did see a slot in the door open. Immediately after that, I was staring down the barrel of a rifle. Ah shit. I held my hands up in surrender. "Whoa easy there pal, I don't mean any harm." I said.

"Who are you? What do you want?" A voice growled out.

"I'm a courier with the Mojave Express. I'm here to talk to Johnson Nash." I shot back. The gun was pulled back, and the slot closed. I could hear a muffled argument, and the door opened up. I tipped my hat to the man who opened it. "Much obliged buddy. Can you point me to Mr. Nash?" I asked. He nodded towards the back, and I entered the casino.

I saw an older man staring at me. He was smoking a cigarette, and was carrying a .357 in hand. "I don't know what it was brought you to Primm, youngster, but you might want to rethink your plans. Town's gone to hell." He told me.

"You Johnson Nash?" I asked. He nodded.

"Yep. Husband to Ruby Nash. Lived in Primm going on eight years now, thick and thin. I'm a trader primarily, for what it's worth with things like they are. I also run the local Mojave Express outpost." He told me. Alright, now we're getting somewhere.

"Look, I'm a courier with the Mojave Express." I told him. His face didn't change. "Well, I don't got any work right now, sorry to say." He shot back. I shook my head. "No, I'm not here for work. I lost a package I was supposed to deliver, you think you can help me out?" I asked.

He nodded. "I'll tell you whatever I can. Do you have a delivery order you can show me?" I handed him the note I had, and his face darkened. That's never a good sign. "Oh, so you're talking about one of them packages. That job had strange written all over it. But we couldn't turn down the caps." He said. Well this outta be good. "What was so strange about it?" I asked.

"That cowboy robot had us hire six couriers. Each was carrying something a little different. A pair of dice, a chess piece, that kind of stuff. Last word I had from the office, it looked like payment had been received for the other five jobs. Guess it was just your chip that didn't make it. First deadbeat we hired to do the job canceled. Hope a storm from the Divide skins him alive. Well, that's where you came in." He told me.

"Cowboy robot? You mean that one over there?" I asked, pointing to the securitron with the cowboy hat. He shook his head. "Nope. Different fella. Bigger. Had himself a face on a screen, and he talked more like you or me." Wait a minute... he couldn't mean... Victor? The fuck is going on?

"What about that other courier? He canceled?" I asked. Nash nodded, his face gaining a hard look. "Yeah, got this look when he saw you next down on the Courier list. His expression turned right around, asked me if your name was for real. I said, right as rain, you were still kicking. Then he turned down the job, just like that. I asked if he was sure, it was good money. No, let "Courier Six" carry the package, that's what he said - like the Mojave'd sort you out or something. Then he just up and walked out." He told me.

"Do you know where they went? Who they were?" I asked. He shook his head. "No idea. Sounds like you two had a history for him to act like that. And turn down the money, too. Hope he didn't see any trouble in that package of yours. Maybe he thought your name was bad luck. Not for me to say."

Damn. I'll have to look into that later. Well time to see what else I can find out about this place. Let's see if Suit passed by here at all.

* * *

Me and my luck man. Nash explained that Primm's deputy was captured earlier, and he was my only hope of finding Suit. I walked into the Bison Steve hotel, Blackout in hand. I looked inside, spotting two convicts. I moved in quietly, letting VATS kick in. As time slowed, I took in their equipment. Not too impressive thankfully, they were armed with only a varmit rifle and a pistol. I fired, hitting one in the head and the other in the heart. Damn that was smooth.

I moved over to them, looting them for anything major they had. Some caps, stimpacks, some 9 mil ammo and...holy shit a frag grenade! Damn I was lucky to get the drop on them. I put the grenade in an easily accessible pocket, searching around for more stuff. I noticed... a store? Hey, might be a safe in here! I walked in, and... yep! I checked the lock... oh. This lock was a bit too complicated for me. Shit.

Ain't no way in hell I'm leaving this behind! Time to improvise. I searched my pockets... I swear I had one around here somewhere... ah there we go! A lock's greatest enemy: The Cherry Bomb! I rigged it to blow, setting it in the lock. I hopped over the counter, waiting for the... I wouldn't say explosion more like the little poof! I checked the safe... holy shit.

Inside was about a thousand caps, some .357 bullets, and this... just beautiful gun. It was a .357, but it was so amazing! It's barrel, frame and cylinder were made of a smooth black metal decorated with ornate gold etchings. I saw the words Lucky engraved on this silver plate on the ejector tube. The handle had the clubs symbol, and was made of... was this ivory? Dear god...

I looked at the rather crappy .357 strapped to my side. I took that one out, unloading it before tossing it aside. With a bit of hesitance, I grabbed Lucky, putting it in my holster. Yeah, no way in hell I'm leaving this for some random scavenger.

Okay, after that little stop, I guess it's time to find the Deputy. I left the store, and I was back in the main hall. I brought up the rifle, making sure it was fully loaded. I saw a door at the end of the hallway. Looks like that might be important. I walked through the door, realizing my mistake. I saw three people, all armed with shotguns. Shit.

I aimed, making sure to target the closest one to me. One head shot later, I was left the rifle hanging, pulling out Blackout. VATS kicked in once more, and I aimed. I fired a few bursts. Unfortunately they weren't headshots, but I'm pretty sure that three bullets to the chest is enough for a few guys. Now that that's done, time to see if the deputy was- oh shit!

I barely moved out of the way of a burst of napalm. Shit! I fell on my ass, trying to crawl away from the flamethrower wielding convict who almost appeared out of nowhere. I fired Blackout frantically, missing every shot. FUCK! I was backed against the wall, and the guy was advancing on my. No room for the rifle... I tore Lucky from it's holster, taking aim. VATS didn't kick in this time, so I took a deep breath and fired.

The bullet struck the gas tank, and the flowing gas caught fire. I did the smart thing and ducked behind some cover. The convict frantically tried to fix the leak, but he wasn't so lucky. He let out a scream of terror, before becoming engulfed by a raging fire. I held a hand to my chest, trying to calm myself. I took a swing of whiskey, hoping it would help. It did thankfully. Now... time to find that damn deputy.

* * *

I found him... and was very disappointed at what I found. He was a complete and utter coward, but he at least had info on Suit.

He told me that Suit was going to Novac. That means I have to go through the Mojave Outpost and Nipton. I left Beagle to his own stuff, looking for Nash. "Hey there youngster. Hanging around Primm for a while?" He asked.

I shook my head. "I was going to head out soon. I was just wondering about that robot of yours..." I trailed off. He nodded. "Sure. What do you want to know?"

"Do you think I can take a look at it?" I asked hopefully. Nash nodded again. "You're welcome to try. Its yours if you can get it working." He said. Alright!

* * *

Almost... and done! ED-E shot up, a small horn blaring from his radio. I whooped. Man that was a close one. I almost messed up his circuits there. He beeped happily. "Hey there buddy! You wanna head out with me?" I asked. What? I like robots. Besides, that laser looks like it would do some damage. ED-D nodded... I think. Fuck it, I'm taking that!

"Come on then, let's head out." I said, walking out of the Mojave Express, ED-D right behind me. Time to head to the Outpost. What? I had a deal with the Lt. I always keep my word. Of course, nature decided to take it's course. The exhaustion of the last two days finally kicked in. Oh shit. I... need sleep. I walked to one of the abandoned houses, kicking in the door. "ED-D? Can you stay on guard for a few hours?" I asked. I heard a beep in response. "Thanks." I said, dropping onto a bed. I was out before I hit the pillow.

 _AN: Sup. So yeah, I'll try and keep these chapters at a minimum of a couple thousand words. So now Michael has a bit of ordinance, a new friend, and a new function for the Pip Boy. Don't worry, it won't be able to hold anything bigger than an SMG max, so no lugging around every gun he comes across. So anyways, until next time, Read, Review, and Enjoy!_


	4. The Mojave Outpost and The Whiskey Rose

Chapter 4: The Mojave Outpost and The Whiskey Rose

I woke up with a groan. Damn was I sore. I slowly sat up, taking in my surroundings. Oh… right. The events of the previous days flashed back. Goodsprings, Primm, everything. I got of the bed slowly. Damn, I feel like I slept for a month. Guess I should get my bearings straight, considering I just collapsed into a random house.

I looked around at the room I was in. Hm... looks like it hasn't been used in a while. But not too long thankfully, because nothing was covered in dust. Let's see here... I saw a sink, the slightly bloody bed I was sleeping in, a fridge, and a cabinet. I moved over to the tap, twisting it. Out flowed... semi clean water, by the looks of it.

Might as well wash up while I'm here. I splashed some water on my face. Ah... much better. I turned off the tap, looking back over my shoulder. Opening the fridge revealed a few Sunset Sarsaparillas, which I...moved to my Pip-Boy. Gonna need to get used to that. I moved over to the cabinet, opening it up.

"Oh ho, what have we here?" I asked myself. Inside the cabinet was a lever action shotgun with a side holster, along with a bandolier full of slugs. They looked like they were in decent condition, so I put the bandolier on and grabbed the shotgun, strapping it to my side.

I guess it's time to head out. I checked my guns, making sure that they were all loaded before stepping out the door, where I came face to face with...

"BEEP!" Gah! I stumbled back, falling on my ass. Ah... right. Forgot about you. ED-E stared down at my, with what I guess was amusement. I sat up slowly, hearing him beep rapidly.

"Yeah, yeah, laugh it up you bucket of bolts." I muttered, dusting myself off. Smooth Strife. Real smooth. I looked up at ED-D.

"Thanks for keeping an eye out. See anything?" I asked. ED-E bobbed from left to right. I'm going to assume that's a no. I shrugged. I'll figure it out sometime. I checked my guns once more, before walking past ED-E.

"Come on, let's head out." I said, walking out the door. I hissed as the morning sun hit my eyes. Damn that's bright. Ah well, I have a job to do. Mojave Outpost here I come. ED-E floated on behind me, beeping all the way. Thankfully the sun wasn't too bright today so I just walked on, following the road.

Eventually I saw an old building a couple hundred yards away, along with... ah shit! I ducked behind a few boulders, waving at ED-E to follow me.

I pulled out my hunting rifle, looking through the scope. I saw three raiders, each with a snake tattoo running down their necks. One, female, was leading the two males. Vipers. I've had run-ins with these guys before. I grimaced as I remembered how painful those poison weapons of theirs are. I have to take care of this before it becomes a problem.

I breathed in and out. No wind right now, so that's fine. Just have to account for distance. I aimed for the leader first, popping off a shot. She was sent flying back, the contents of her head flying everywhere. As the other two searched for me, I aimed again. That's when VATS kicked in. I aimed for one and fired. Instead of hitting his head, the bullet struck a grenade he was carrying. He disappeared in a ball of fire, and the other guy was sent flying away.

...Oops. I stood up, dumbfounded. Damn, did not expect that. Well... I guess the only thing left to do is to see if any loot survived the blast. I walked over, slowly checking my surroundings, ED-E beeping softly behind me. I walked over to the guy sent flying and... shit. He was still alive. Only problem was that his guts were currently hanging out, and he was trying to put them back in.

Fuck, can't leave him like this. I pulled out Blackout, making sure to have it at burst fire. I quickly shot him in the head, the three bullets impacting. He fell back, glossy eyed. Sorry pal, better you than me. I holstered Blackout before quickly searching him, finding some 9 mil ammo along with a few doses of Med-X. I put those in my satchel, moving over to the leader, who was surprisingly still intact. I stepped through the gore pile that was a Viper earlier, looting the leader. She on the other hand had a couple of grenades, some .357 ammo, as well as a couple dozen caps.

I was about to walk into the building when I heard a thump behind me. I turned around and pulled out my shotgun, bringing it up. Beneath me was a body. Another Viper, with a gaping hole in his head. The fuck? I turned to ED-E.

"You couldn't have told me anything?" I asked. He began to beep rapidly. That's when I realized I didn't hear any kind of weapon firing. I groaned.

"That wasn't you was it?" I asked. ED-E bobbed left and right. Well shit. I looked around, not seeing anything. Well... if whoever shot that Viper wanted me dead, I'd be dead I guess. Well, no use wasting favors. I gave a thumbs up, hopping my mysterious savior saw that. With that out of the way, I entered the building.

* * *

Well... not a bad haul there. Granted there were a few Vipers inside, but my shotgun took care of them. Turns out that this place was a base for them. Not complaining really. I managed to get a duffel bag full of loot. Caps, chems, guns and bullets. Like I said, not a bad haul.

I walked down the road for a good few minutes, when I heard something scuttling to the left of me. Scuttling... shit. I looked at the source. Yep, radscorpions. Three of them. I brought my shotgun, aiming for the nearest one and firing. ED-E beeped next to me, blaring some music before firing off his laser. My aim was thankfully on point, because the thing was sent flying. Oh, right. Forgot about the slugs. The one ED-E shot was disintegrated. The last one charged at us, pincers clicking. That would have been intimidating had the radscorpion not been smaller than the others.

I simply shot it, blowing it away. Well now that that's over, I guess it's time to move on. Wait a minute... yep. Looks like an old gas station. The courier in me wanted to just go on to the Outpost, but the scavenger in me wanted to check this place out. Scavenger won because I walked into the gas station. It was surprisingly clean, with supplies scattered across the building. I moved over to where a small note was laying on the counter. The hell?

It was titled 'Guess Whose Luck Keeps Rolling? Only problem was that the rest of it was covered in water, the ink staining. Huh, somebody must have gotten lucky in Vegas and decided to head back to the NCR. Ah well, looks like they left a few parting gifts. I moved around, eating some of the food and water they left behind. Hell, even found a locked gun cabinet, which I managed to unlock. Inside was a lot of 5.56 ammo. I mean there was at least twenty boxes full of this stuff! Huh. I checked my satchel, noticing that it was starting to get full. Man, I think I'm going to have to leave this stuff behind.

That's when I remembered the oh so helpful Pip Boy I was wearing. Let's see what I can do here. I grabbed about six boxes of ammo, stuffing them into my bag. I checked the Pip Boy and lo and behold, it showed I had six cases of ammo. I clicked on them, feeling my bag getting lighter. Oh this is going to be fun.

I repeated the process with the rest of the ammo. I even made a little room in my bad for some other stuff. Once that was done and I had taken everything I wanted to, I left the store. I could see the statues in the distance, signifying the Outpost. Heh, finally I could get a decent meal. Say what you will about the NCR, but they knew how to cook.

I began the slow but steady climb up the hill. Eventually I saw sweet relief. The barracks, and more importantly the bar, were in sight. I greeted a man in front of the statues, a Sergeant Kilborn, who was kind enough to direct me to Major Knight. Food or not, I am a courier til the end. After telling ED-E to wait outside, I entered the barracks, noticing a man wearing a brown beret behind the counter. I walked up to him.

"Caravan, citizen, pilgrim, or...?" He let the words hang. Oh right, that's my cue.

"Courier." I said. The man shrugged.

"Just need something for the log book, keeping tabs on traffic through the Outpost... although mostly just in, not out these days." He muttered the last part, thinking I didn't hear it. I choose to ignore it as he continued. "If you're looking for the commanding officer, he's in the back. Although... he's got a lot on his plate, so if you speak with him... keep it short. Also, you need any gear checked, we can get you up and running again... once you fill out the work orders, and sign for the parts, of course." He said.

Well damn, that's good to know. But onto business. "You must be Major Knight." I said. He raised an eyebrow, but nodded.

"That's right... why? What business do you have?" Knight asked me.

I pulled out the note Hayes had given me. "Like I said, I'm a courier. Lieutenant Hayes from Primm told me to give this to you." I said, passing him the note. Knight took it.

He read it over, before sighing. "I figured it was this bad. I'd like to help, really...but we can't spare any more units. We have to maintain a minimum headcount at the Outpost, orders from the West." Knight said the last part bitterly. Ah well, can't win them all. I nodded.

"Fair enough, I was just tasked with delivering the note." I said. Knight reached for something behind the counter.

"Considering you came all this way to inform me, it's best to compensate you. For your services." He said, dropping a bag of caps. "100 caps. It's yours." He said. I pocketed them, tipping my hat to Knight.

"Much obliged Major. Say, do you know where a guy can get a drink?" I asked. Knight smirked, pointing me in the direction of the opposite building. Sweet. I thanked him, taking off. Time for a drink.

A minute later I was about to walk into the bar when I heard a sharp whistle. I looked up, where I saw a woman wearing a cowboy hat standing on top of the building, beckoning me to come up. I thought about just going to the bar, but decided against it, much to the annoyance of my stomach. I walked up the ramp leading to the roof, where the woman was waiting for me.

I could tell right off the bat that she wasn't your average NCR trooper. No, this woman was an honest to god Ranger. She smirked when she saw me. "Hey there. You're that courier, right? The one that walked from Primm?" She asked.

I nodded. "Yep. Is there something you needed?" I asked politely. The Ranger chuckled.

"I have a job, if you're up to it." She said.

"What's the pay?" I asked. Granted, I should be leaving as soon as possible. Only problem was that Suit looked like he was a high roller, so that meant I needed cash for Vegas. In other words, I needed the every job I could find.

"The pay? The pay is a good goddamn thanks from the heart of the Republic!" She said with what was definitely forced enthusiasm. She could tell I knew because the next second the two of us were cracking up. Once we finished she sighed and looked at me.

"Just shitting you with the NCR line, done wonders for morale around here. President Kimball keeps saying getting shot at is its own damn reward." She said, scoffing. "Do this job for me, though, I'll do what I can. People know I hate most everyone, so if I put in a word for you... that's gold." She continued. The word of a Ranger to back me up? Hell, down the line this could be useful.

I raised an eyebrow. "In all honesty? I prefer caps. But I'll here you out. What should I call you?" I asked.

"Ghost. That's my callsign. That's all you need to know about me anyways." She said. I raised my hands in surrender.

"Yeah yeah, don't worry about. I know how rangers operate. I was raised by one." I shot back. Mom was a hell of a taskmaster, but she did show me a bit of what a Ranger could do. Ghost raised an eyebrow.

"No shit? What was their callsign?" She asked. Damn it. I could just wave it off, but unfortunately I had already spoken up.

I sighed. "Wolf." I said simply. Here we go. Ghost was in the middle of taking a sip of water when I said that. She promptly spit it out, not onto me thankfully.

"Wolf?! As in the same Wolf that won Navarro? Shit, looks like I made the right call then." She chuckled. I sighed.

"Look, can you just tell me what you need?" I asked, trying not to snap at her. Ghost blinked behind her sunglasses, noticing my annoyance. She nodded.

"Right... sorry. I think there's trouble in Nipton - no traffic from there on the roads, and while I can explain that away, the smoke from the town I can't." She said. She saw my confusion, passing me some binoculars. "Look that way, due east about 12 miles." She told me.

I did as she instructed...well shit. She's right. Smoke was billowing like crazy. Not a good sign. I looked at her, and she continued.

"I'm sure it's been hit - what I need to know is if they survived it. Might be Powder Gangers with all that smoke in the air. Look, if there's anybody left, they'd be in the Nipton Town Hall. Go there, check it out, let me know what you find." She said. I merely grunted in response, no longer in a mood to talk. I was about to walk away when I heard Ghost call out.

"Wait a minute!" She said. I turned to look at her. She had taken off her hat and sunglasses, looking at me sheepishly. I raised an eyebrow, not bothering to open my mouth. "Look... I'm sorry if I pushed the wrong buttons there. How about I make it up to you?" She asked. I thought about it before grunting again. I guess she took that as a yes. She stuck out her hand.

"How about when you get back, I get you a drink? Sound good?" She asked. Huh... did not expect that. Why not? I'll just go downstairs for a meal, then take off to Nipton. I shook her hand.

"Sure. Sounds good." I finally said. With that I walked down the ramp and into the bar. Before I entered, someone walked past me. I noticed they were clad in leather armor, with the logo of the Crimson Caravan stamped on their shoulder. A broad grin was on their face, as if they just finished a great deal. Shaking my head, I entered the bar. The scent of stale beer and cigarette smoke hit me as I walked in. I saw a rather bored looking bartender manning the place, and a girl in a cowboy hat sitting at the corner of the bar, nursing a bottle of whiskey. I sat a few stools away from the girl in the cowboy hat, ordering a caravan lunch.

For some reason, the girl caught my attention. The hat she was wearing looked weathered, and had obviously been patched up. It had a black band, and I could see her brown hair pulled into a ponytail. She had a shotgun slung across her back, a brown suede leather jacket, a pink and white plaid shirt with black buttons, black gloves, torn jeans and a pair of old cowboy boots. The main thing that stood out was this weird looking pendent on her neck.

I guess I was staring, because she looked up at me, blue piercing eyes glaring at me. "Looking for trouble?" She asked.

I looked away, figured I'd be polite. I focused on the caravan lunch that had just arrived. "Nope... just looking around." I shot back.

She snorted. "Well, keep those eyes up and turning - or I'll set 'em spinning." She warned, taking another downing a drink she had just poured. "Got no time for gawkers... or anyone looking for something I ain't selling."

Damn, where the hell is she keeping all this stuff? Of course I had to speak up. "Surprised you can still see straight, what with you being so far down that bottle." I said, chuckling. In my defense, she was nearly done with the whiskey she had on her, and I spotted about three empty bottles next to her. The girl smirked.

"This? This ain't nothing. I've been trying to drink to forget, but it's only getting me mad instead. Whiskey always gets my temper up - now more than ever." She said the last part somberly. Ah shit. Really shouldn't have opened my mouth.

"What are you trying to forget?" I asked, mentally cursing myself. Why won't I shut up? I had more control than this dammit! Fuck, I think those bullets did more damage than I thought. The girl scoffed.

"Lost my caravan heading north, the driver burned to ash - and they didn't even take the cargo, they just burned that, too." She muttered, taking another drink. Ah... that fucking sucks. The girl looked up at me with a curious expression. "Ya know, you're the first person that actually gave a shit." She told me. Well... thanks... I guess?

My mind went back to what she said. Burned to ash... a fire was possible, but at the same time... it could mean energy weapons.

"That doesn't sound like raiders. It sounds more planned... more thought out." I muttered, munching on my meal. I guess the girl heard me, because she perked up.

"My guess is Legion, they're trying to cut NCR's supply line... and the Mojave Outpost is proof." She said, opening _another bottle._ Damn. Oh boy, methinks she's going on a rant now. "Got us locked up tighter than a New Vegas virgin. No caravans in, out, and just try arguing with Jackson about it. "Roads aren't safe," he says. No shit, you washed-out old fuckup, I didn't need a Brotherhood Scribe to tell me that!" She growled out.

"Who's Jackson?" I asked. I heard the name around here, but it wasn't ringing any bells.

"NCR officer, trooper, whatever - runs the place. It's like a Brahmin drive gone wrong - supposed to be a gate north, but you come here, you get caught in the pen. Better to head back home. If you don't have a gun and a will, don't matter much what you do when you reach here, except stare at that fucking monument outside." She ranted. Oh boy. I was tempted to try and take the bottle of whiskey away from the increasingly volatile girl, but I like having all my body parts attached thank you very much. Something she said caught my attention however.

"That fucking monument outside?" I asked, slightly grinning. The girl glared at me.

"Don't even tell me you missed it coming in. It's like NCR showing its dick to all the East. If the Republic put as much effort into protecting the East as they put into those two asinine giants outside, then they'd be worth that monument. Statues of two men shaking hands covered in blood don't seem to be nothing to brag about." She muttered, pouring another glass of whiskey. I think I'm starting to like her.

"I saw a lot of stuff on that statue, but not any blood." I shot back. It's amazing what kind of conversations you can get into at a bar, really. The girl scoffed.

"I'm speaking figurative, isn't any blood on their damn hands. Course, when Caesar comes walking through here, there'll be blood for real. And after the blood dries in the sun, he'll melt that piece of Jet-induced sculpture down, and reshape it into a bull. Which by my reckoning is making up for a deficiency of his. But no matter what the state of his pecker, he's sure giving the West a good fucking." She said. Well she ain't wrong.

"Compensating maniacs aside, why are you still here?" I asked. The girl chuckled and shrugged.

"Whiskey and me are old friends, keeps me going when times get rough. Like now. Got me into the caravan business, you know - had to start transporting water instead of liquor, I hadn't switched over, I'd end my trip with nothing but glass bottles rattling on the back of the Brahmin." She down another glass for emphasis. I blinked. In this entire conversation, she's already gone through one and a half bottles. If that isn't tolerance, man I don't know what is. But she avoided the question.

"No, I mean why are you still here at the outpost? You said it before, only the people without a gun and a will stay here. From what I've seen, you've got both." I said, turning fully to face her. She stopped herself short from drinking the whiskey in her hand. She turned to look at me, and I saw the look in her eyes. She was completely and utterly done with the world by the looks of it. She went back to staring at her glass.

"I... I don't know anymore. I already sold my caravan. Some runner from the Crimson Caravan stopped by, with an offer from Alice McLafferty. I told em to fuck off, but... that offer had a lot of zeros. I... needed the money." She whispered the last part out. Then she snarled.

"I traded my name for a fuckin piece of paper. It... doesn't seem right. Bet my dad'll be spinning in his grave if he learned I sold our name." She said. She looked at me again. "So... I guess I don't have anything keeping me here. I... I just don't know what to do." She said.

We just sat there for a bit after that. I finally broke the silence. "You could always visit your caravan... pay your respects." I said. The girl looked at me.

"I could... but it's miles from here. How the hell am I going to get there?" She asked. I thought about it.

"How about you travel with me? It'll be better than being stuck here all day." I told her. I saw she was considering it, she really was. I hope she joined up. I could use the company, mainly due to the fact that if I went anywhere with just ED-E, I'd probably lose what little sanity I had left from just talking to myself. Finally she shrugged.

"Fuck it, why not?" She asked, pouring two glasses and giving me one. "You only live once you know. Cheers." She said, raising her glass.

I raised mine in response. "Cheers." I downed the whiskey. Damn, this was some good stuff. Wait a minute, forgot to introduce myself. I offered my hand.

"Name's Michael Strife" I said. The girl shook it.

"The name's Cass. Rose of Sharon Cassidy." She said. I smirked.

"It's a pleasure Cass." I said. This ought to be fun.

 _AN: Hello again folks! Apologies for the wait, but to repay you extremely patient people I wrote a chapter with over four thousand words! Not bad if I do say so myself. Hope you guys are enjoying the story. Until next time, Read, Review and Enjoy!_


	5. Nipton and The Road Ahead

Cass followed me out of the bar, taking a sip of whiskey. I walked over to where ED-E was still floating. He started beeping like crazy when he saw the two of us. It was safe to assume he was scolding me for taking forever, if the way he bonked my head was any indication. I chuckled.

"Yeah yeah, sorry I took so long. I made a new friend by the way. Cass? This is ED-E. ED-E? This is Cass." I said, gesturing between the two of them.

Cass took a long look at him. "Cute robot you got there. Where'd you get him?" She asked. I shrugged.

"Found him in Primm. Granted he was more run down when I got to him, but he's doing fine now." I said. ED-E chirped happily... I think. I motioned for them to follow me. "Come on, we got a long walk ahead of us." I said. Like that we were off. As we exited the outpost, I spotted a traveling merchant walking up. I just realized that I had a bunch of stuff to sell. I looked at Cass.

"How about we get you an upgrade?" I asked, walking over to the merchant. She just grinned in response.

After some bargaining, as well as a lot of trading, we walked away from the merchant with a nice amount of caps, as well as some new toys.

Cass was now sporting what the merchant called a trench gun. This thing was apparently built somewhere in Denver. It looked like a hunting shotgun, except for the fact that it was painted black, the stock was shorter and the barrel had a bayonet on the end. Suffice to say Cass loved it. I on the other hand, had bought a good old fashioned sawed off shotgun. What can I say? I could use a backup weapon. Besides that, I upgraded my clothing a bit as well. I mean, I can't just run around and get shot in a shirt and jeans now can I? I was now wearing some rather comfortable leather armor that was surprisingly light.

With that out of the way, the three of us walked down the highway. Granted there wasn't much to worry about... okay that's a lie. There's always something to worry about in the wastes. There was a thing with some giant ants, but with how much firepower we were packing, they didn't cause too much trouble. Hell, thanks to Cass we were able to get some meat off of them. Now the three of us were walking along... well floating in ED-E's case, to Nipton.

As we were walking, I had spotted a few wrecked buildings, along with something much more obvious. I held up a hand, Cass and ED-E stopped cold. I pulled out some binoculars and stared ahead.

"What is it?" Cass asked, looking around us. I pointed to the building in front of us.

"See down that way? The building on the left." I said. Cass peered.

"Yeah... why?" She asked. I handed her the binoculars, aiming her view. She groaned. "Is that what I think that is?" She asked.

I nodded. "Unfortunately it is. Viper ambush. You think these morons would learn to hide better, but how much credit can you give raiders?" I asked rhetorically. Cass snorted.

"So... what's the plan?" She asked. I shrugged.

"Fuck it. They don't look too well armed, so that means any shots they do land won't hurt as bad. Besides, I'm trained medically so no worries." I told her. With no other true option, we began to walk. Cass loaded her new gun with slugs casually and I did the same with my shotgun. As we got closer to the building, I could hear the Vipers becoming more and more restless.

I vaguely started humming a song I had heard from up north. As soon as I started humming, shit hit the fan. A Viper charged forward, meat cleaver in hand. Cass's shotgun boomed, blowing the poor bastard's arm off. He fell back screaming but was quickly silenced when the shotgun boomed again, blowing his head off. That's what opened the floodgates really.

From behind us a woman came screaming out of cover, brandishing a knife. I ignored her in favor of the two men I was currently facing. One was armed with a 10mm pistol, and the other one charged forward with a golf club. I aimed for the one with the gun first, bigger threat to worry about you know? VATS kicked in, and I was shown a lot of options to target. Let's see... I went for the arm holding the gun, blasting it off. I quickly aimed for the guy's head, blowing it open before he could scream. VATS shut down, and time began to flow normally. Cass had already taken care of the guy with the knife, and ED-E had disintegrated the woman behind us.

I holstered my shotgun, looking at the others. "Well... that went better than I expected. You okay?" I asked Cass. She gave a thumbs up and ED-E beeped happily... I think. Anyways.

We quickly went around looting the bodies, finding a couple bags of caps, some ammo and a few small guns among other things. After tossing those in the duffel bag, we continued on our journey. Soon the town of Nipton was in sight, and it did not look promising. Fires were spread out everywhere, and I couldn't see anyone. Wait a minute... I saw someone running out of Nipton, whooping like a madman. Against my better judgement I approached him.

"Yeah! Who won the lottery? I did!" He told me, waving a ticket around. He took a deep breath. "Smell that air! Couldn't ya just drink it like booze!" He continued, cackling. I took in his appearance. Wait a minute.

"Are you a... Powder Ganger?" I asked, noticing that he was wearing armor like Cobb was. The man looked confused.

"Powder Ganger? What? I mean, yeah, used to be, sure! But not no more! Powder Gang is small-time, man! I'm a winner! I won the motherfucking lottery!" He yelled out, waving his ticket again. Cass raised her shotgun slowly, but I put a hand out to stop it. He was crazy, yes, but he looked harmless enough.

"Are you... feeling alright?" I asked cautiously, praying he wouldn't snap. The man looked confused again.

"Are you kidding me? Never felt better!" He said with a grin. Okay, I want answers now;

"What sort of lottery did you win" I asked him, slowly reaching for Lucky.

"What lottery? The lottery, that's what lottery! Are you stupid? Only lottery that matters! Oh my God smell that air!" He cackled out. I slowly stepped around him, urging the others to follow.

"Riiight... We're just... going to go now." I said, walking away from the obvious lunatic.

"Later!" He yelled, taking off in the direction we came from. Cass shook her head.

"The fuck was up with that guy?" She asked me. I shrugged as I walked forward.

"Hell if I know. Maybe we'll get some answers as soon as- Wait... what's that smell?" I asked, taking a sniff. It smelled like something... charred. I heard Cass gasp, and I turned to look at her. She looked like she was going to be sick. She pointed at something to the left of me. I turned to see... What the fuck?

It was the body of a man, half burned. That wasn't the worst thing, no. He was held up by a cross, with nails driven into his hands. I looked away from the scene, trying to see if there was anything else we could find. I passed the general store and... and... oh God.

Down both sides of the street, people were hanging from crosses. All of them were tied to crosses, with nails driven into their hands and wires wrapped around their wrists. I could see it wasn't just Powder Gangers hung up. No, men and women were hung up as well. Even a boy, couldn't be older than 12. I slowly moved towards one of them, noticing something. The man I was staring at was looked dead. I jumped back when he moved his head, gasping for air.

Oh god, he's still alive. He looked at me. "K..kill...me..." He whispered out, closing his eyes.

"Shouldn't... shouldn't we cut him down?" Cass asked. I shook my head.

"He's already dead." I said. If the wires or spikes didn't kill him, the blood loss from removing them would.

I heard a sigh behind me. "Beautiful, isn't it?" A man asked me. I tore Lucky out of it's holster, aiming at the voice. Cass aimed her shotgun, and ED-E primed his laser. The speaker had come from the town hall. He was surrounded by a pair of dogs, as well as half a dozen men, some armed with spears and machetes, others with rifles. All of them were dressed in red and black. Their armor looked like old sports equipment, and they all wore what looked like leather skirts and sandals.

The one who had spoken up stepped forward, and I could finally see him. He wore the same armor as the rest of the group, only his seemed reinforced. On his back was a small tattered cape, fluttering in the wind. His head was adorned with the top half of a coyote head, like some messed up hood. I couldn't see his eyes because they were covered by some weird looking goggles, but I could tell he was staring at me. His left hand was on the hilt of a sword, the other raised wagging a finger at me, like I was some disobedient child.

"None of that now. If you lower your weapons, you won't have to worry. I won't have you lashed to a cross like the rest of these degenerates." He said. I shuddered at the voice. It just sounded... wrong, on so many levels. I took a look around, realizing we were surrounded. A dozen more people were coming out of the town hall, all wearing the same black and red armor. I holstered Lucky, much to Cass's shock.

"What are you doing?" She hissed at me. I looked at her.

"I don't want to get shot. We can't win this, so lower the gun." I hissed back. Cass relented, moving her hand from the trigger of her shotgun and raising said gun in the air. Dog Boy clapped, like we just did a nice little trick. Asshole.

"Excellent. Now to business. It's useful that you happened by." He said, grinning smugly. He gestured around us. "I want you to witness the fate of the town of Nipton, to memorize every detail. And then, when you move on? I want you to teach everyone you meet the lesson that Caesar's Legion taught here today." He continued.

I growled. "Who the hell are you?" I snapped out. Probably not the best thing to do at gunpoint, but I wasn't thinking straight. The man smirked.

"I am Vulpes Inculta, of Caesar's Legion. I serve my master as the greatest of his Frumentarii. We Frumentarii are soldiers of a different stripe, capable in battle, but skilled as infiltrators and agents as well. This is but one of the many lessons we have taught to those that oppose us." He said, every word spoken calmly, without remorse. This was a man who reveled in the violence.

"And what...'lessons' did you teach here?" I asked, trying not to snap at the man in front of me. He tilted his head, as if trying to remember the exact details.

"Where to begin? That they are weak, and we are strong? This much was known already. But the depths of their moral sickness, their... dissolution? Nipton serves as the perfect object lesson." He said. Oh great, monologue time. "Nipton was a wicked place, debased and corrupt. It served all comers, so long as they paid. Profligate troops, Powder Gangers, men of the Legion such as myself - the people here didn't care. It was a town of whores. For a pittance, the town agreed to lead those it had sheltered into a trap. Only when I sprang it did they realize they were caught inside it, too.." He continued, relishing in the fact that both Cass and I were staring at him in horror.

"We took everyone... save a few, and herded them to the center of town. I told them their sins, the foremost being disloyalty." He smiled, staring at the figures on the crosses. "I told them that when Legionaries are disloyal, some are punished, the others made to watch. And I announced the lottery. Each clutched his ticket, hoping it would set him free. Each did nothing, even when "loved ones" were dragged away to be killed." He continued, still smiling.

I stared at him, mouth agape. Then my eyes fell on the kid. "You... All these people... you slaughtered women, children, innocent civilians... to prove a point?" I asked. This... he couldn't be serious could he? Vulpes laughed... no he cackled. It sounded so out of place with how he spoke.

"Innocent? Hardly. Cowardly, though. They outnumbered us, yet not once did they try to resist. They stood and watched as their fellows were butchered, crucified, and burned, one by one. They stood and hoped their turn would not come. Each cared only for himself." He said.

Something I hadn't felt in a long time was simmering inside. Rage. Pure unadulterated rage. I so wanted to do... something. Gouge his eyes out, rip him limb from limb, anything. I was tempted to end this monster right now... but I couldn't. Then my eyes fell on Cass. Any other time, if I was just by myself I would have gone for it. Now I had someone to watch out for. Couldn't play by the same rules as before. My eyes must have betrayed me, because Vulpes chuckled.

"If you feel strongly about it, attack us, and soon you won't feel a thing." He warned, and the men behind him aimed their rifles. I shook my head.

"I'll... I'll do as you ask." I said, the words tasting vile in my lips. Vulpes walked up, patting me on the cheek.

"Good profligate. Then I bid you "Vale" - until we meet again." He said, gesturing to the legionaries and walking away. As they passed us, I saw a young girl chained up, a slave collar on her neck. She saw me... she silently pleaded with me to do something, but I couldn't. I was still watching as they passed by us, leaving the town.

Me and Cass stood there, not speaking for who knows how long. Finally I snapped.

"FUCK! GOD FUCKING DAMMIT!" I roared, kicking a random building. Finally all the tension built up released. I feel to my knees, tears pouring out. I didn't sob. I wasn't going to give anyone that pleasure.

* * *

Cass and I spent the trip back to the Outpost in silence. Even ED-E was silent. I mean, what could we say? But damn if the silence wasn't awkward. Granted I was on a hair trigger right now so I wouldn't be a good conversationalist. We finally arrived, still not speaking.

I nodded towards the monument. "I'll be right back. Wait over there." I said.

Cass nodded and made her way over. I walked up the plank leading to the roof of the bar. Ghost stood up when she saw me.

"Hey Strife, you-" She paused when she saw me. "Shit, you okay?" She asked. I shook my head.

"I checked out Nipton... it's been razed to the ground. Legion attacked the place. No survivors." I told her, the words sounding hollow to myself. Ghost shook her head, passing me a bottle of alcohol. Just what the doctor ordered. I started chugging it instantly.

"Legion this far West? You're fucking kidding me." She asked incredully. I finished the bottle and shook my head. Thankfully I was a bit calmer than before. The booze helped.

"Nope. I know what I saw, who I saw. It was them. Led by some asshole named Vulpes Inculta." I told her. Ghost held her chin in thought. Guess she didn't hear that last part.

"That's not outside the border, they're moving in - and fast. Nipton wasn't the most friendly town, but..." She muttered. Then she realized something. "Wait a minute... did you say Inculta?" She asked. I nodded. She groaned.

"Ah shit. I've heard of him. He's the leader of Caesar's spies and assassins. Rangers always told stories about him. He was there during Hoover Dam apparently. Whole platoons were wiped on overnight because of him. Anybody whose ever seen him usually winds up dead." She said, glancing at me. I shrugged.

"He wanted me to send a message. He... he wanted me to tell people what happened." I told her. She nodded grimly.

"All right - thanks for checking on that, wish it set my mind at ease, now I'm more on edge than ever." She muttered.

"Did... you have any friends there?" I asked. Ghost, despite the situation, chuckled.

"In Nipton? Hell no. Town was a shithole, asking to be burned. Just not by Legion. Nobody deserves that." She said. Ghost turned out towards the desert. "Well, thanks for hoofing it there and back, even if it was bad news. Hopefully this will get people moving, but I doubt it. Fucking Mojave's going to hell, and all I can do is sit here and watch." She sighed. And there goes the mood again. I nodded.

"Well if that's all, then I... I guess I'll get going then." I said, turning around and preparing to leave. Ghost grabbed my shoulder.

"Hold on. I promised you a drink didn't I? Figured you could use it." She said, pointing to the bar. I smirked.

"Sure... why not?" I asked. She walked down the ramp and I followed her.

Despite what some people said about her, Ghost was actually pretty good company. We sat in a secluded section of the bar, drinking some scotch. We kept up a decent conversation, but in truth we were only there for about ten minutes. While I hated to leave, I still had a job to do. I finished up my drink, leaving some caps behind.

"Thanks for the drink Ghost." I told her. She smirked.

"Any time. Good luck out there Strife." She said, handing me something. I glanced down at it. It was a radio. I looked up at Ghost.

"If you need assistance, just call. NCR will be happy to help." She told me. I nodded.

"Appreciate it. Until next time Ghost." I told her. Like that I was out of the bar.

Cass was leaning against the monument, dozing off. She got more alert when I approached.

"Bout time you finished. What happened? You get lucky or something?" She asked. I shook my head.

"Nah, just needed a drink. Here." I said, giving her a bottle of whiskey. "It's for the road. Come on, we have a long walk ahead of us." I told her, walking off into the Mojave.

For the next few hours, it was just walking. We traveled for quite a while, making sure to just avoid Nipton entirely. There was an incident here and there with the usual raiders, but nothing major. Finally we came across a peculiar sight. A giant fake dinosaur, with a sniper barrel poking out of the mouth. Next to the dinosaur was a sign. It used to say No Vacancy, but since most of the letters were scratched off it simply read NO VAC, thus the name. Time to see if Suit was here still. Knowing my luck, I highly doubt it.

 _AN: So... sup. Yeah don't really have much to say, so hope you guys are enjoying the story! And while it's no pressure or anything, I would definitely appreciate it if you guys left reviews. That's the kinda what gets me going. Until next time, Read, Review and Enjoy!_


	6. Novac

Novac. It's a decent enough town from what I've heard. Not doing bad for itself, but also not rolling in caps unfortunately. If I remember correctly, there was a shop in the giant dino, a motel around here somewhere, along with hopefully a doctor. Pretty sure we were running out of stimpacks. Actually now that I think about it, we don't have any stimpacks. Gonna have to change that.

I noticed that it was already late in the afternoon. Looks like we're taking a break in this town. I turned to Cass.

"Hey, think you can find us a room? It's getting late, and we're going to need our sleep." I said, directing her to what I hoped was the motel. She nodded, moving over there. I decided to take a quick smoke break.

As soon as I lit my cigarette, I paused when I heard a familiar squeak. No way… can't be. I turned my head, and sure enough, Victor was rolling on down the street. He chuckled when he saw me.

"Well butter my butt and call me a biscuit, if it ain't my old friend from Goodsprings!" I heard him say. I shook my head. This was certainly not what I was expecting.

"Hello to you too Victor." I said, eyeing the robot curiously. "What are you doing here in Novac?" I asked him, taking a drag from my cigarette. Victor's screen flickered slightly.

"Don't rightly know - I just got the notion to make my way to New Vegas. Reckon I'll find out when I get there." He said, twirling around and studying the town. I hummed in response. How... interesting. I was a bit guarded talking to him, but what could I do when I was speaking to the robot who was apparently the one responsible for my ill fated trip?

"Well, I guess it's always nice to see a friendly face." I said, trying to keep the conversation as normal as possible. Victor chuckled.

"Likewise, friend - likewise. Is there anything old Vic can do you for?" He asked, turning to look at me. I shrugged.

"Well if you have some caps to spare, I'd appreciate it." I said, holding out a hand and smirking. I started to gape when a... very generous bag of caps fell into my hand. If I were to guess, it was at least a few hundred. I turned to Victor. "You... do know I was joking right?" I slowly asked him. Victor bobbed his head.

"Well partner, it's not like I need that much to begin with. Sides, you looked like you needed it more than I did." He said as if it didn't matter that he just tossed away some money. What the hell is this guy playing at? You know what? I'm not saying no to free money. I pocketed the caps quickly, reminding myself to check them later. That's when I heard Cass walk over.

"Hey Michael, I think I found us a room." She told me. That's when she noticed Victor. "Uh... what exactly's going on over here?" She asked me. I chuckled.

"Just saying hi to a friend. Cass? This is Victor. He... helped me out a few days ago. Victor? Meet my newest... traveling companion, Cass." I said, waving my arm towards both of them. Victor made a motion, as if he was tipping a nonexistent hat.

"Howdy ma'am, pleasure to meet ya." He said to Cass. She looked on in... rather understandable confusion.

"Er... hi there? Wait, help you? How exactly did he help?" She asked me. I coughed, rubbing the back of my head. Right. Never really told her what happened did I? Thankfully, or sadly depending on how you see it, Victor came to my aid.

"Ah it was nothing. Just helped old Michael here out of a pickle. Poor sucker was buried alive after some ne'er do wells got the drop on him." He said, waving towards me. At Cass' blank look, I explained.

"Some assholes got the drop on me. Shot me in the head and buried me. Victor dug me out." I said, rubbing the scars on my head. Cass looked at me in shock.

"You... you survived getting shot in the head? Holy shit..." She whispered to herself. I shrugged.

"Weirder shit's happened in the wasteland." I said, giving out a yawn. "I'll tell you more later. Right now, I need some sleep." I told her. I nodded to Victor. "Pleasure to see you again man. Thanks for the caps. Come on Cass, let's go." I said, stomping out my cigarette and walking towards the motel. I heard Victor chuckle.

"Happy trails partner!" He called out behind me. Heh, funny robot. Cass quickly caught up with me.

"So, you found us a room? You know how much they cost for a night?" I asked her. She nodded.

"About 20 caps, least that's what the lady said. Sounds pretty good to be honest." She told me. Actually, that does. Better than the last place I stayed anyway. Bastard charged me a hundred caps for 'Guaranteed Security', and I nearly had my fucking throat slit. Damn, why am I remembering all these things? Must be the headshot. Whatever.

I heard ED-E beeping. Oh... forgot about the little guy. I chuckled sheepishly. "Sorry pal, but you'll have to wait outside. You going to be good?" I asked him. After a lot of beeping, he bobbed up and down. "Thanks pal. Good luck out here." I told him. I motioned for Cass to follow.

The two of us walked into the motel lobby. Inside was very... green. Like, literally. Green wallpapaer peeling off, green counter, green chairs, green couch, you get the point. Behind the counter was a middle aged woman with gray hair tied into a bun. She was wearing a green dress, along with some eyeglasses. She looked up at the two of us.

"Well. Welcome to you. You look tired from the road. Why don't you relax a spell, let this fine town take care of you?" She said.

"Hey there." I said, walking up to the front desk. "I don't believe we've met." I told her. She gasped slightly.

"Oh, what am I doing? I got to thinking about making a good impression and plain forgot to tell you my name. I'm Jeannie May. I take care of folks here at the motel. Long as they aren't trouble makers." She said, sticking out her hand. I hesitated slightly, before shaking it. Now don't get me wrong, she's nice and all, it's just... something felt off about her. Couldn't say. I shook my head. I've been out in the waste for a while. It's getting me paranoid.

"I'd like to rent a room." I told her, bringing out a small bag I knew had at least twenty caps. Jeannie May nodded.

"Well, like I told your friend here, it'll be 20 caps a night." She told me. I dropped the bag on the counter, which she checked. Guess it was enough, because she pulled a key from the hook behind her. "Your room will be the one upstairs, closest to the lobby side. Let me know if you need anything." She told me. I passed Cass my duffel bag, along with the key.

"You get some rest. I'll catch up right now." I said. She nodded, walking out of the lobby. I turned to Jeannie May. "Before I go, I had a quick question. Have you seen a man wearing a checkered suit around here?" I asked her. The smile on her face melted, and she scowled. Oh yeah, he was here alright.

"Well he might've been wearing a fancy outfit, but he wasn't any kind of a gentleman to me. Had his nose stuck so high in the air, you couldn't see it above the clouds. City folk, they always think they deserve better than what they got. Those hoodlums he was with seemed to know Manny for some reason..." She said. Manny... hmm. That's a start.

"So... where can I find Manny?" I asked her. She pointed behind me.

"He's one of the snipers that help protect the town. You'll find him in the mouth of the giant dinosaur. Oh and before I forget, there's a gift shop there as well. Cliff sells a lot of stuff. " She said. Good. That's a start. I thanked her, leaving the lobby. Huh, it was already dark out. Damn.

I made my way over to the dino, entering it. It... caught me off guard to be honest. There was a lot of toy dinosaurs lined up along some shelves. There was a counter, and behind that was a man. He waved at me.

"Welcome to the Dino Bite Gift Shop. My name's Cliff. If you're here for the t-rex figurines, you're just in time. There's still a few left." He told me. Gift shop. Right.

"So, what else do you sell here?" I asked him. He lit up.

"Well, there's t-rex figurines, of course. That's our bread and butter. We also have an assortment of the REPCONN factory souvenirs - rockets, things of that nature." He said, reaching behind the counter. I stopped him.

"Uh.. sorry, but what about supplies? And guns? Do you sell those?" I asked him. He deflated.

"Guns? I, uh, well... yeah, I guess I might have a it. No one ever buys the t-rexes." He muttered. I grinned.

"Sorry. Look, you have any .308 ammo? Could use some." I said, reaching into a pouch for some caps. He pulled up a box, along with another one. Hm... regular or hollow point? I dropped some caps, reaching for the hollow points. Didn't really have any of these. "Thanks. Say, you mind if I go up to the top? Have to speak with the sniper." I told him. He waved me off.

"Yeah, it's fine. Come again." He told me. Pocketing the bullets, I made my way up to the top of the dino. As soon as I opened the door, I tensed as I heard the telltale cocking of a pistol.

"Whoa whoa easy there! I'm not armed!" I quickly blurted out. As I finished opened the door, I saw the barrel of a pistol aimed at me. It was put away thankfully, so there's that. The guy who was holding the pistol held it in one hand, and in the other he held a scoped hunting rifle. He was huge, and was definitely ex military, if the red beret was anything to go by.

"Goddamn it! Don't sneak up on me like that. What do you want?" He asked me. His voice was weary, and he barely gave me a second look, turning around and facing the wastes.

"You expecting visitors?" I asked him. He turned, scowling at me.

"I think you better leave." He said, grunting. Wait, who was this guy again?

"Sorry, are you Manny?" I asked him. There was a pause.

"No." He finally said, turning to look at me. "You don't know who I am?" He asked. I shook my head. Dammit

"Nope. I was looking for Manny, because I wanted to ask him a few questions. But if you're not him, I guess I should go." I said, turning to leave.

"Wait." The sniper called out. I paused. What did he want? "You just got into town right? Maybe you shouldn't go. Not yet." He said. Oh boy.

"Why not?" I asked him. He shook his head.

"I need someone I can trust. You're a stranger. That's a start." He said. Wait what?

"You only trust strangers?" I asked him. He growled.

"I said it was a start." He spat. "This town... nobody looks me straight in the eye anymore." He told me. Well... shit. Why not?

"What exactly do you need me to do?" I asked him. The sniper sighed, turning to look out into the wastes again.

"I want you to find something out for me. I don't know if there's anything to find, but I need someone to try. My wife was taken from our home by Legion slavers one night while I was on watch. They knew when to come and what route to take, and they only took Carla. Someone set it up. I don't know who." He said. I winced. Shit. That... fuck.

"So you're trying to track down your wife?" I asked him. If that was the case, it wasn't going to end well. My mind went back to the girl from Nipton. The slave collar around her neck, her silently begging me to do something. Scowling, I shook my head. Can't think about that now. What the guy said next kinda threw me for a loop.

"My wife's dead. I want the son of a bitch who sold her." He told me. Whoa, wait a minute. What?

"You said she was captured by the Legion. How do you know she's dead?" I asked him. Okay that was a mistake. He turned, glaring at me. If looks could kill, well lets just say that I'd rather be facing a deathclaw right now.

"I just know, alright?" He snarled at me. I backed up, ever so slightly. His shoulders slumped. "That's all you need to know." He continued.

"Alright. Sorry. So, say I find the person responsible. What exactly do you want me to do?" I asked him. He pointed to a spot a little far away from the town, but still visible.

"Bring em out in front of the nest here while I'm on duty. I'll give you my NCR beret to put on. It'll be our signal, so I know that you're standing with em. I'll take care of the rest." He told me. I didn't even hesitate. I knew what he was going to do but I could didn't care. I guess you can consider this the start of giving a big fuck you to the Legion.

"I'm in. I'll see what I can find out." I told him. He nodded.

"Good. I'll make it worth your while. And one more thing, we shouldn't speak again. At least until it's over. No one in town knows that I know what happened to my wife. Best they never know, or the Legion will be after me next." He told me, handing me his beret.

I took a few seconds to inspect it. This one was different than the ones I've seen. Besides the red coloring, it had a patch on the front with a bear skull with crossed rifles behind it. There was slogans above and below the skull that said "NCR 1st Recon" and "The last thing you never see." Huh. Interesting.

"So, I guess introductions are in order. I'm Michael. And you are?" I asked him. It's starting to get real old, referring to him like that. He grunted.

"Just call me Boone." He said, turning around once more. Guess that's my cue to leave. Time to find me some evidence. Sleeps going to have to wait a bit.

* * *

It didn't take me long to question people about Boone's wife, Carla. Turns out she wasn't exactly well liked here. No offense to Boone, but she sounded like your classic New Vegas girl, looking down at the people here, skulking away in her room, and just complaining about how she deserved better than Novac had to offer. Despite all these complaints, none of the people actually knew what happened to her.

Now you may be thinking that they could be lying, but I'm rather perceptive when it comes to people in general. Certainly helps that Mom trained me to recognize when someone was lying after she nearly got ripped off by one merchant. Anyways, after all my searching, only two people had me concerned.

The first was a man called No-Bark. The main reason was... well the guy had a few screws loose to say the least. Certainly didn't help that he threatened me with something he called he called his 'stickin knife'. However after talking (more like listening to his interesting ramblings and theories) to him, I figured he was harmless, so he was off the list.

The second one was surprising to say the least. Jeanine May. Now I know what you're thinking. 'Really Mike? That nice little old lady?' Yep. I had caught up to her as she was on her way home. As soon as I mentioned Carla, I could see she tensed for a second, then she relaxed. She gave me some little story about how Carla just ran away, before heading home. Something was up. Everyone else didn't know jack shit, and never gave excuses to how Carla disappeared. May just did both of those.

I decided to investigate the motel lobby. After making sure that nobody else was around, I decided to start snooping. Let's check out the most obvious thing, the safe. I quickly cracked it, thankfully as silently as possible. Inside was a bag full of caps, a pistol, and... a piece of paper? I reached in, reading it.

 ** _We, the representatives of the Consul Officiorum, have this day bargained and purchased from Jeannie May Crawford of the township of Novac the exclusive rights to ownership and sale of the slave Carla Boone for the sum of one thousand bottle caps, and those of her unborn child for the sum of five hundred bottle caps, the receipt whereof is hereby acknowledged. We warrant the slave and her young to be sound, healthy, and slaves for life. We covenant with the said, Jeannie May Crawford, that we have full power to bargain and sell said slave and her offspring. Payment of an additional five hundred bottle caps will be due pending successful maturation of the fetus, the claim to which shall be guaranteed by possession of this document._**

 ** _M. Scribonius Libo Drusus et al._**

 ** _Administrators of M. Licinius Crassus, Consul Officiorum ab Famulatus_**

Oh god... oh god I'm going to be sick. Jesus Christ, she sold a pregnant woman to the Legion? Calm down Michael. Save this for later. Keeping down the urge to throw up, and took everything from the safe before closing it. I folded the note, sticking it somewhere safe. I exited the lobby as calmly as I could, making my way to that bitch's house. I knocked on the door loudly, and soon enough she answered. She had the nerve to look concerned when she saw me.

"Is everything all right? Awful late to be dropping in unexpected." She told me. I refused to give into the urge to snarl at her, instead giving her my blankest face possible.

"Come with me. There's something you should see, in front of the dinosaur." I told her.

* * *

She was dead. Boone was a damn good shot. After making sure none of her brain matter was on me, I made my way to the dinosaur. Thankfully no one was around to hear the shot, so there's that. Entering the dinosaur, I walked up to the mouth, opening the door.

Boone turned to me. "So that's it then. How'd you know?" He asked me. I didn't say anything, I just pulled out the bill and handed it to him, along with his beret.

The scowl that was on his face never wavered, in fact it got worse as he read on. Finally he sighed, crumpling it up. "I guess I shouldn't be surprised. It'd be like them to keep paperwork." He said. He handed me a bag of caps. "Here. This is all I can give. I think our dealings are done here." He told me.

" Are you an outlaw now?" I asked him. Considering the fact that a person died in his range, it could be slightly suspicious. For the first time since I met him, he smirked. It was a bit unsettling.

"No. People die out there. Often enough that no one worries about blame. They're too anxious to forget it happened in the first place, I guess. Besides. I was on break when it happened." He said. Heh, good enough excuse.

"So what are you going to do now?" I asked him, pocketing the caps.

He shrugged. "I don't know. I won't be staying, I know that. Don't see much point in anything right now, except hunting legionaries." He said, gazing into the desert.

"Wait, by yourself?" I asked him. Considering that those guys usually traveled in teams of at least six, it wouldn't be good to do that solo. Boone simply nodded.

"Why don't you travel with me? Path I'm heading done might cross the Legion, and I don't plan on giving them a chance." I told him. It was true. Boone shook his head.

"That might not be a good idea." He told me.

"Don't snipers usually work in pairs? One sniper, one spotter?" I asked him. He nodded.

"Yeah, that's true. Tell you what? You finish doing what you need to do here, and maybe I'll join up." He said. Wait, what?

"How'd you know I was doing something?" I asked him. He pointed to his eyes.

"That look you had when you came in, after we started talking. When you talked about Manny. You're searching for something, or someone." He said. Huh, rather perceptive of him. Well, I guess as a sniper it's part of the job.

"Alright, you got me. I'm looking for some asshole in a checkered suit. He's running with some Great Khans. Know anything about that?" I asked him. He shook his head. Damn.

"Sorry. You were probably right, you should talk to Manny. He'll be here during the day shift." He told me. Ah well. I turned to leave.

"Catch you later Boone." I said, opening the door.

"Hey Michael." I paused when he called out to me. "Thanks, for helping me out." He told me.

"No problem." I said, and with that I left the head. I trudged back to the motel, the exhaustion finally hitting me. Damn. I made my way up the steps, and into the room that was mentioned. It was unlocked thankfully. Inside on the bed was Cass, snoring her ass off and surrounded by whiskey bottles.

"Aw jeez, I leave you for a bit and you get wasted without me? I'm hurt." I muttered to myself. It wouldn't do to share the bed when she was like this, so I decided to rest on the floor. Funny enough, it was surprisingly comfortable. Before I knew it, I was out like a light.

 _AN: Heh, sorry for the wait once more folks! I've hit a bit of a writers block, so I've been replaying a bit of New Vegas, as well as some other games to try and get myself back into it. Not to mention my summers been rather busy. Hopefully I can get these chapters out more frequently. Don't have much else to say, so until next time, Read, Review and Enjoy!_


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